Hub cap mounting



Jan. 7, 1936. H. J. HORN 2,026,736

I HUB CAP MOUNTING Filed Aug. 5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fnvemori Harry .IHam.

H. J. HQRN HUB CAP MOUNTING Jan. 7, 1936.

Filed Aug. 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w mim 21 mi mm m J 6 a Patented Jan.7, 1936 PATENT OFFICE HUB CAP MOUNTING Harry J. Horn, Lansing, Mich.,assignor to Motor Wheel Corporation, Lansing, Mich., a corporation ofMichigan Application August 3,

8 Claims.

An additional object is to provide a hub cap 10 mounting structurehaving a resilient attaching element which is not permanently attachedeither to the hub cap or to the wheel structure.

These and other objects will be apparent from a consideration of thefollowing description and i by reference to the accompanying drawings,in which Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a wheel construction madein accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the split ring employed in the hub capmounting structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a modified form of thehub cap mounting structure shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a further modified form of the hub capmounting structure shown in Fig. 1.

Wheel constructions of the type to which this invention pertainsgenerally include hub, spoke and rim portions. Most wheel constructionsalso are provided with suitable braking mechanism attached to the hubmember. In many cases a disk structure will be employed in the place ofor in addition to the spoke members. As it is desirable to protect andto hide from view the hub portion of the wheel, it is customary toemploy a hub cap which normally is connected to the wheel by resilientattaching means secured either to the hub cap itself or to the wheelportion. This construction makes it necessary to attach the resilientmeans to the cap or wheel prior to the completion of their manufacture.Breakage or distortion of the permanently attached resilient membersdestroys the utility of the cap, due to the difiiculty of replacing thedamaged part. Damage and distortion of the cap itself makes it necessaryto replace the resilient member as well as the cap.

In accordance with my invention the wheel construction is provided withan improved structure for securing the hub cap to the wheel portion. Aparticular advantage of the improved structure is that the resilientmeans for securing the hub cap and wheel portions together need not beattached either to the cap or to the wheel portion. It has been mydiscovery that a particu- 1934, Serial No. 738,256

larly desirable hub cap attachment may be had by the use of anindependent expansion ring split so that it may be contracted andreleased in engagement with adjacent attaching portions of the wheelstructure and hub cap.

As shown in the drawings, the hub III is provided with. an annularflange H to which is attached by means of rivets 12 a brake drum l3 ofconventional construction. The hub flange II also has attached to it aninner disk l4 which is composed of a pressed steel plate turned over atits outer edge to form a spoke-supporting annular flange l5. The flangel5 of inner disk N forms a support for an outer spoke spider l6 having aplurality of spaced spokes [1 extending therefrom. Spider l6 may beformed by pressing the spokes I! from a flat strip of metal and thenbending the strip into circular formation with the spokes extendingradially therefrom. At its rear edge the spider I 6 is turned over toform a rear attaching flange It! for engagement with the rear edge offlange l5 of the inner disk member. At its outer edge the spoke spiderI6 is provided with a front flange l 9 which extends centrally of thewheel in engagement with the front edge of flange IS on the inner diskand also extends inwardly a further distance in spaced relation to innerdisk M. The spider [6 may be securely attached to flange I5 as by.welding. The outer ends of the spaced spokes ll constitute a support fora tire rim 20 which is attached to the spoke ends by suitablerivets orby welding.

In order to make the tire-carrying portion of the wheel demountable theinner disk I4 is provided with a series of openings through which extendbolts or lugs 2|. These lugs pass through openings in the brake drum l3and engage threads in flange l I of the hub member. Ordinarily therewill be six of such lugs spaced evenly about the hub portion.

The inwardly extending attaching flange I9 is employed for mounting ahub cap 22 to the wheel portion. The hub cap is provided with aninwardly extending attaching edge 23 which is positioned adjacent theattaching flange l9. An expansion ring 24, which is an annular ringsplit as shown in Fig. 2, acts to secure edge 23 and flange l9 inreleasable engagement. At its rear portion the ring 24 is turnedoutwardly to form a flange-engaging annular band 25. Spaced from theband 25 is provided a hub cap edgeengaging hump 26. The spaced positionof band 25 and hump 26 provides a recess or valley into which isreceived flange l9 and edge 23 of the hub cap. As the expansion ring 24has a tendency to increase in diameter the hub cap and wheel portion areheld together firmly so as to prevent rattling or accidental release.

In its normal position the expansion ring 24 has a diameter as indicatedin the outer drawing oi. Fig. 2. The ring is manufactured separatelyfrom the hub cap and wheel portion and is not attached to either. Inassembling the wheel the expansion ring is contracted and snapped intoengagement beneath the flange IS. The ring expands into contact with theflange and the hub cap is secured in position by pressing the inwardlyextending edge 23 into engagement with hump 26 of the compression ring.This action causes the compression ring to be contracted to an extentsuflicient for the edge 23 to snap over the hump or raised portion 26,whereupon the ring 24 expands and presses edge 23 and flange l9 togetherin a firm manner.

As the hub cap is pressed into engagement with the expansion ring theflange-engaging band 26 of the ring is pressed against the inner diskl4, the latter forming a brace which limits the lateral movement of theexpansion ring.

To remove the hub cap from the wheel a sharp instrument such as a screwdriver may be inserted between the flange l3 and edge 23 and leverageexerted to move the hub cap outwardly against the expanding action ofring 24 until the edge 23 passes over raised portion 26 of the expansionring.

. The construction of ring 24 is such that the flange-engaging band 25preferably is of greater diameter than the diameter of the hump 26. Alsothe inside diameter of the edge 23 is sufliciently large as to permitthe edge to pass over hump 26 before the expansion ring is contracted tosuch an extent that the band 25 will pass beneath the lower edge orflange I9.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the inner edge 23 of the hub cap isof greater diameter than the inner diameter of flange I9, the hump 26 isofgreater diameter than the inner diameters of flange l9 and edge 23,and the flange-engaging band 25 is of greater diameter than the diameterof raised portion 26 and the inside diameters of flange l9 and edge 23.Therefore, the hub cap may be pressed over hump 26 without the necessityof providing the backing structure formed by inner disk I4. Also, thehub cap may be withdrawn without releasing the expansion ring fromengagement with the flange iii.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the ring 24 is provided with aseries of spaced humps 21 about its outer portion rather than thecontinuous annular hump 26 shown in Figs. 1 and 3. These spaced humpsact in the same manner as described with respect to the continuous humps26 and may be found preferably in certain cases where the amount ofcontact with the hub cap is desirably less.

In each of the embodiments shown in the drawings, the ring 24 has agreater expansibility than that permitted by the attaching flange of thewheel portion and the attaching edge of the hub cap, and the expansionring also has a smaller possible diameter than that permitted by thesemembers when in final assembled position, whereby to provide a separateresilient means for releasably securing the hub cap to the wheelportion.

ring forms a releasable connection between the hub cap and the wheelportion. The flange II or the wheel portion need not be of theparticular shape shown, nor need it be continuous about the wheel. It issufflcient that a supporting means is provided for the expansion ring 24and this re- I quirement may be complied with by structure differentfrom that specifically shown and described. Also, the particular shapeof the attaching edge 23 of the hub cap is susceptible of change, as isthe shape of the attaching ring. 10 The wheel portion need not have theparticular structure shown. It may be entirely a disk wheel or a woodspoke wheel or a wire wheel. In the drawings, the spokes are shown asbeing pressed from the material of an annular spoke spider, 15 althoughit will be understood that other spoke arrangements may be employed. Allsuch changes and modifications are intended to be included in theappended claims.

I claim: go

1, In a wheel construction, a central portion having an inwardlyextending flange, a split resilient ring having a valley for receipt ofsaid flange and a raised portion on the outside or said flange, and ahub cap having an inwardly extend- 25 ing flange for engagementwith saidraised portion.

2. In a wheel construction, a wheel member having an inwardly extendingannular flange, a hub cap having an inwardly extending annular 30attaching edge of a diameter greater than the diameter of said flange,and a split expansion ring having two spaced raised portions forresiliently holding said flange and said edge together.

3. In a wheel construction, a wheel member 35 having aninwardlyextending annular flange and a bracing portion spaced from saidflange, a hub cap having an inwardly extending annular attaching edge,and an expansion ring resiliently holding said flange and said edgetogether, said 40 ring having an inner securing portion positionedbetween said flange and said bracing portion and an outer snap portionfor engagement with the attaching edge of said hub cap.

4. In a wheel construction, a wheel portion hav- 4:; ing an annularattaching flange, a hub cap having an annular attaching edge, and aresilient split ring engaging opposite sides of said flange and saidedge to form a demountable connection between said edge and said flange.5o

5. In a wheel construction, a wheel portion having an inwardly extendingattaching flange, a hub cap having an inwardly extending attaching edgeof greater inside dimension than the inside dimension of said flange,and an expansion ring 55 holding said edge and said flange together,said ring having an edge-engaging raised portion adapted to becompressed beneath the attaching edge of said hub cap and aflange-engaging raised portion of greater diameter than the diameter of00 said flange when said ring is compressed beneath the attaching edgeof said hub cap.

6. In a wheel construction, a wheel portion having an inwardly extendingattaching flange, a hub cap having an inwardly extending attaching c5edge, and an expansion ring holding said edge and said flange togetherin releasable engagement, said ring having an edge-engaging raisedportion adapted to be compressed beneath the attaching edge or said hubcap and a flange-engaging raised 70 portion of greater diameter than thediameter of said flange when said edge-engaging portion is compressedbeneath the attaching edge of said hub cap.

'7. In a wheel construction, a wheel portion 75 having an inwardlyextending attaching flange, a hub cap having an inwardly extendingattaching edge, and a separate split expansion ring holding said edgeand said flange together in releasable engagement, said ring having aflange-engaging raised portion and a plurality of edge-engaging raisedportions spaced about its outer surface.

8. The combination with a vehicle wheel having a radially extendingattaching portion and a hub cap having a radially extending attachingportion ofmeans detachably connecting the hub cap to the wheelcomprising a ring provided with axially spaced portions adapted toengage the opposite 5 faces of said radially extending wheel and hub capattaching portions.

HARRY J. HORN.

